The Confidence to Face Your Past
by raspberry dreams
Summary: Spencer is invited to his high school reunion. A new friendship gives him the confidence to go and enjoy it
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds or any of its characters.

Chapter 1

"Dr Reid" Spencer answered his cell, glad of the interruption. He'd stupidly opened the invitation to his fifteen year High School Reunion in front of Derek and Elle and they'd spent the last ten minutes teasing him about it.

"Hey Spencer is this a good time to talk?" Lila Archer asked. They'd been talking regularly over the last three months since he'd saved her from an unsub.

"Oh Hi" Spencer said blushing.

"Is it Lila?" Derek asked amused.

"Yes" Spencer replied answering both of them at once. "Why are you ringing me during the day though?" He hurriedly backtracked awkwardly hoping she hadn't taken offence. "I mean it's not like you?"

"I have some time off and LA's doing my head in. I need to get away for a bit and I wondered if I could come and visit you" Lila said in a rush.

"Of course you can come and visit. Are you in some sort of trouble?" Spencer asked hearing the anxiety in her voice.

"No just thoroughly sick of never knowing who my real friends are and who's spending time with me to get noticed" Lila replied sighing tiredly.

"Tell him he should go to his high school reunion" Derek said loudly reaching over and pressing the button to put Lila on speaker.  
Spencer waved him away irritated. "You're on speaker and most of the team in here" he warned Lila who just laughed.  
"Your friends are right. You should go" Lila said.  
"Lila, people go to school reunions to catch up with friends. I was five years younger than the rest of the class and even the other geeks wouldn't speak to me most of the time" Spencer said bluntly. "I used mathematics to show the basketball team what the other teams plays were and how to beat them. Even when they won the championship because of me all I got out of it was twelve semi-popular guys who avoided me instead of bullying me."

Derek cringed at the honesty in his tone. "Reid, people go to their high school reunions to show their former class mates how well they've done in life. To brag about their accomplishments. You've got a lot to brag about Pretty Boy" he said interrupting the reassurances Lila was trying to give him.  
Spencer blushed. "They won't be impressed by my PhDs" he protested.  
"You're an FBI field agent. They've got to respect that" Elle said.  
"Not to mention dating one of the hottest new actresses in Hollywood" Morgan added clapping him on the back. "You should ask Lila to go with you and make everyone green with envy."  
Elle rolled her eyes at that but Spencer blushed and stammered. "I couldn't…"  
"I'd be happy to go with you Spencer" Lila interrupted. "I'll be the perfect date. We'll have a lot of fun in Vegas."  
"Okay then so long as you don't have a new part or important audition" Spencer agreed. "It would be good to see you again. But I could just take the week off and come and visit you if you'd rather."  
"No we should go to your reunion" Lila said determinedly. "Derek's right. You've got a lot to be proud of. You should get the opportunity to show off."  
"Parker said he didn't think I'd changed at all" Spencer said negatively.

"Was this before or after you walked off with the girl he was trying to impress?" Morgan asked.

"Spencer we love you the way you are so please don't take this the wrong way but if you want to be seen differently maybe you should dress a little more fashionably" Elle suggested gently. "You could be really hot if you let me take you shopping. Or I'm sure JJ would be happy to go with you if you felt more comfortable."

"Um I think I'd like that if I decide to go" Spencer agreed hesitantly.

"You should take them up on it even if you don't go to the reunion kid. Changing the way you look might get you taken a little more seriously by the local LEO's" Gideon said as he joined the conversation.

"I like the way I dress. It's comfortable and I look professional enough. I'd feel like a kid dressing up if I tried to wear a suit like Hotch" Spencer replied.

"I think you look adorable in your regular clothes Spence but you've got the height to look really elegant if you wanted. How fancy is this party?" Lila asked.

"It says cocktail dresses" Spencer said. "I don't even know what that means."

"It means you could wear a smart suit or a jacket and pants, or shirt and waistcoat depending on the look you're going for but not a tux or three piece suit" Elle explained. "We can definitely work with that. What's your budget like? Could you afford a really nice outfit or are we looking for good quality knock offs?"

"I have money saved if you think it's important" Spencer replied. "The reunion's in Vegas so I could easily win back what I spend on clothes and the trip."

"You're that good?" Morgan asked impressed.

"I've been banned from nine casinos for card counting so now I stay away from the blackjack tables. Poker's not so much a sure thing but I win more hands than I lose and half the hands I lose will be on purpose so I don't get banned again" Spencer replied calmly.

Elle laughed. "I'm never playing cards with you again" she threatened as she usually did after he beat her while playing in the jet on the way home from cases.

After thinking about it he realised that from what he'd seen he liked the way that men JJ appeared attracted to were dressed more than those Elle was attracted to so he hesitantly approached JJ stammering a little as he tried to explain what he wanted.

JJ happily agreed to take him shopping after work that day. Their date to the football had shown them both that they didn't have the chemistry between them to be successful lovers but had cemented their friendship and they generally spent time together most weekends so Elle wasn't surprised Spencer felt more comfortable asking her for help.  
He was a little concerned when Morgan, Gideon and Hotch all wished him luck before he left.

Spencer enjoyed the shopping trip though he found trying on outfit after outfit a little frustrating particularly since he couldn't really see the difference between the outfits JJ liked and rejected.

"So things are going well with you and Lila?" JJ asked.

"She's mostly a friend. We talk every couple of days if I'm not on a case. I've only seen her once since the case we met. It's impossible to have a real relationship when we live on opposite sides of the country" Spencer replied.

"A friend with benefits?" JJ asked surprised.

"I expected comments like that from Morgan" Spencer said avoiding answering.

"I'm sorry Spence. I'm not judging you and I don't mean to pry. I want you to be happy. I just worry that you'll let the idea of a relationship with Lila keep you from looking for something real closer to home" JJ apologised.

"I won't" Spencer replied. "But it's not like I meet many women who aren't involved in our cases in some way and I'm not good with talking to strangers."

"And the hours we work make it difficult to get to know someone. Maybe you should join a group or something"

"What are you suggesting?" Spencer asked unsure whether he felt insulted or amused.

"You could join a chess club or a book group" JJ suggested.

"Or a study group for one of my forensic psychology courses?" Spencer asked.

"You're doing another degree. Spencer when do you find the time?"

"I don't date!" Spencer replied dryly making JJ laugh. "I enjoy learning new things. I can't often make the classes but the professors are very understanding about it. It's mostly on-line, evening and weekend classes."

Knowing how unfashion conscious Spencer was JJ took the time to show him what combinations of his new clothes worked together and what she wanted him to avoid. He didn't understand why it was so important to her but his eidetic memory allowed him to remember her instructions anyway and he'd follow them to keep his best friend happy. JJ had been careful to choose clothes that were a good compromise between fashionable and what her friend would feel comfortable in. There was no point making him look amazing if the clothes made him feel insecure and awkward. She also had a great eye for colours that suited him and the end result was a Spencer that looked confident, attractive and fashionable in a classy and elegant way. They didn't find a suit that fit the way JJ was happy with so Hotch made him an appointment with his tailor the next day.

-o0o-

Elle and Penelope were keen to get Spencer to their respective hairdressers for a complete makeover. JJ however thought Spencer's hair suited him though it could use a little tidying up and suggested a haircut to Spencer, letting him describe to the hairdresser what he wanted. And what Spencer wanted was very nearly the hairstyle he already had. The hairdresser introduced him to a few products and showed him how to turn the unbrushed messy look into a sexy casual mess and talked him into a few subtle highlights to enhance the look.

-o0o-

Of course Penelope was upset to hear she'd missed a shopping trip and tried to talk Spencer into letting her take him shopping too. Spencer protested that he already had more clothes than he'd ever owned before but ended up having to promise to take her with him next time he bought new clothes.  
"I think I'm going to wear all the stuff I've got until it falls apart just so I never have to go shopping again. I dread to think what she'd try to dress me up in" he confided while talking to Lila that night.  
Lila laughed. "I could always send you clothes. She can't complain about your girlfriend sending you gifts."  
"Girlfriend?" Spencer said anxiously.  
"Yeah if you want" Lila said. "I'm not offering you an exclusive commitment but we're more than just friends or even friends with with benefits. To me at least. I know I'm not smart enough to be the type of woman you're gonna want to spend the rest of your life with."  
"I honestly never pictured anyone wanting to spend the rest of their life with me. And that's fine. I like living alone. Work and my studies take up most of my time. I've never had a girlfriend before. I'm warning you I'm probably not going to be very good at it. I'm not good with any sort of relationships. I'm ruining everything already aren't I?" Spencer babbled.  
"Spencer you'll be fine. You're a very good friend, we don't have to be more than that if it makes you uncomfortable" Lila said reassuringly.  
"I'd like to try" Spencer admitted. "Will you be my girlfriend Lila? And will you promise to tell me directly what you expect from me?"  
"I will Spencer but just be yourself and try to enjoy being with me" Lila said smiling at his earnestness. "I'll be there Friday unless you call and tell me you have a case."

"Lila I'd love to have you visit but can I ask why you don't want to visit your parents?" Spencer asked hesitantly.

"Let's just say Dad's been a little too disapproving of some of the things he's heard about me lately and I'm tired of explaining to him that most of the stories in the magazines are either not true or so grossly exaggerated that they may as well be lies" Lila explained.  
"Okay then I guess your safe with me I don't read any of that nonsense. If I get called away at the last minute Garcia's got a key. I'll ask her to try to pick you up. Or I could post you a key tonight" Spencer offered.  
"I could stay in a hotel if you're not there" Lila said.  
"No you're paying for the flight out. I trust you. I don't take work home with me and there's nothing really secret in my flat anyway so you can snoop as much as you want it won't worry me."

"Okay then I'll see you soon. Night Spencer"

"Good night Lila." He disconnected and then got out his laptop and googled Lila to see what she was trying to hide from him. He was even more worried about his friend after reading several sometimes conflicting articles but resolved to give her the benefit of the doubt and wait for her to be ready to confide in him.

-o0o-

"You take the bed and I'll sleep on the couch" Spencer offered.  
"You most certainly will not. That bed's big enough for both of us Dr Reid and I expect you in it with me" Lila countered. "Now seeing as it's your apartment I'll let you have first go of the bathroom" she offered cheekily. "Remember even if we weren't dating I offered you friends with benefits."

"Yes but I thought if we were dating then shouldn't we take things slower and get to know each other a bit better?" Spencer asked.

"Spencer, having a girlfriend doesn't have to be that serious. I'm here because I like you. Just relax and try to enjoy the time we have before I have to go back to California" Lila said encouragingly.

Lila had to restrain herself from laughing when Spencer returned wearing thick flannel pyjamas decorated with Dr Who. They were obviously designed for teenagers, and were several inches too short in the arms and legs though they fit adequately everywhere else.

Lila had changed for bed while he was in the bathroom and while he very much appreciated the sight of her in a short sapphire blue satin nightie with a plunging V neckline he didn't realise she'd put it on specifically to entice him and looked away as soon as he could force himself to, climbing into bed and picking up the nearest book.

"I could really use a swimming pool right about now" she mumbled not realising that Spencer was peeking glances at her unable for once to concentrate on reading.

"You want to go swimming?" Spencer asked.

Lila laughed. "No Spence, I want to pull you into the pool and kiss you again to get rid of that book and get those cute pyjamas of yours all wet so you'll want to take them off."

Spencer blushed furiously. "Oh."

She used the bathroom and came out crawling across the bed to take his book away from him. "Surely you're not so bored with me in your bed that you need to read?" she asked leaning in to kiss him lightly.

"No" Spencer squeaked.

"No?" Lila queried.

"I mean, no, I'm not bored. Not at all. I'm never bored when I'm with you" Spencer babbled

"You invited me as your girlfriend to stay with you Spence. What were you expecting?" Lila asked.

"I don't know. I've never really done this type of thing before" Spencer answered nervously.

"Never?" Lila asked. "Are you a virgin?"

"Yes" Spencer admitted. "I'm not good with people and I've never found someone I wanted who wanted me too. I mean…" he babbled until Lila silenced him by kissing him.

"I want you. Do you want me?" she asked softly.

"Yes" Spencer whispered hoping that she wasn't teasing him the way Harper and Alexa had in high school.

Lila kissed him again moving to straddle his lap as she deepened the kiss, sliding her tongue between his lips as he gasped in surprise.

Spencer settled his hands on her hips enjoying the texture of the warm satin sliding over her smooth skin.

"You can touch me wherever you want" Lila told him as she moved her hands to unbutton his pyjama jacket.

Spencer blushed feeling insecure as she revealed his skinny white chest. He couldn't help but remember the last time he'd been naked in front of a girl. Tied to the flagpole keeping his eyes tightly shut so he wouldn't have to see them laughing at him. It hadn't stopped him from hearing their laughter though and the sound had cut deep wounds into his self-confidence. Wounds that were still part of his psyche.

Lila ran her hands over his lightly muscled abdomen. "You eat whatever you want and you still have zero body fat. I'm jealous" she complained playfully.

"You're jealous of me?" Spencer asked astonished. "Your body is perfect."

"I'm far from perfect Spencer. I don't think I've been cast by anyone without them telling me to lose weight or tone up some part of my body" Lila replied.

"That's because you work in an industry where they want you to become somebody else, to mould yourself into their vision of the character. Sooner or later you'll audition for a movie where you'll have to gain weight for the character" Spencer said.

Lila looked at him doubtfully. "I don't think I'm that good Spencer, roles like that go to really good actresses not actresses with good bodies."

"You're a good actress" Spencer argued. "Your body is just a tool to help you get noticed among the hundreds of others trying to break into the industry but it's your acting skills that got you top marks at Juilliard."

Lila smiled and hugged Spencer leaning up to kiss him. She pushed his pyjama jacket off his shoulders and leaned forward to kiss her way down his chest before biting very gently on his left nipple.

Spencer moaned then blushed embarrassed by the noise.

Lila looked up at him and smiled. "Don't be embarrassed that you're enjoying it" she said. "The apartment walls are thick, you can make as much noise as you want. I'll love to hear you." She kissed her way down, moving to kneel between his legs and laughing as he giggled when she hissed his ribs. "Ticklish?" She asked grinning devilishly.

"Please don't" Spencer begged.

"Not now" Lila replied. She reached the waistband of Spencer's pyjamas and brushed her hand lightly over the bulge tenting the Dr Who material. "Can I take these off?" She asked.

Spencer nodded nervously and Raised his hips for Lila to slide his pants off him. She smiled appreciatively at the sight of him lying there spread out for her. Seeing him anxiously watching her look at him she said. "You're gorgeous. I don't know who convinced you that you're not but they are wrong. You could easily be a model with this body."

She wrapped her hand around him. "Do you have a condom?"

Tim blushed furiously and all but jumped away from her. "Umm no I don't… I'm sorry…. I just… I never thought I'd need…"

"Shh it's okay" Lila said kissing Spencer's cheek before getting up. "I think there's some in my suitcase."

She quickly found them and turned around to see Spencer sitting on the side of the bed with his head in his hands. "Spence what's wrong?" she asked hurrying over to wrap her arms around him.

"I'm such an idiot" Spencer said.

Lila laughed. "You're anything but an idiot" she said. "And it doesn't matter who remembers the condoms so long as we don't both forget." She put them on the bedside table and pushed Spencer backwards straddling his lap. She made sure she had his attention before slowly lifting her nightie off leaving her naked body exposed to his gaze. "Your turn to explore" she invited.

Spencer looked at her in awe, he'd seen her in several skimpy bikinis during the case but here she was fully bare and inviting him to touch.

He brought his hands up and gently cupped her breasts unable to take his eyes off them.

"Are they the first breasts you've touched?" Lila asked.

"The first live ones" Spencer replied.

Lila shuddered.

"Way to ruin the mood Spencer" he said to himself depreciatingly.

"It did sound a little creepy but I doubt you actually meant you fondled a dead body for thrills" Lila said questioningly.

"God no!" Spencer replied. "I was collecting evidence."

"I think I'm gonna regret this but what evidence?" Lila asked hesitantly.

"The unsub had tied something to her nipple piercing" Spencer replied.

"Okay enough work talk. For future reference no talking about bodies or unsubs when you're trying to get laid. It's almost as bad as asking if they're real" Lila said pulling a ridiculous pouty face to lighten the mood.

Spencer laughed. "I know they're real" he said.

"That's another thing I shouldn't ask about isn't it?" Lila asked.

Spencer nodded "Even the best surgeons leave a fine scar along here" he replied drawing his finger along the crease at the base of her breasts. He bent his head and kissed her to stop her asking more questions. He loved that Lila was so curious about everything but he didn't want to have to break her new rule again so quickly.

Lila deepened the kiss pressing her breasts into his chest.

Spencer wrapped his arms around her pulling her close. Lila raised her hands to his hair holding him as he kissed her then when they parted to draw breath threw her head back arching her back gently pushed his head down to her neck and towards her chest.

Spencer gladly took the hint and kissed his way along her throat and collarbones before moving lower. He took one nipple into his mouth copying what Lila had done to him. Lila moaned and thrust her breast up into his mouth grinding herself onto his erection. Realising he couldn't go any further in the position they were in he tried to work out how to roll them both over without Lila falling off the bed or hitting her head on the bedside table. Lila solved the problem for him by getting up and rolling a condom into place. "Scoot back" she said before climbing back on the bed and straddling him. She took him in her hand and lowered herself slowly onto him.

Spencer moaned and started reciting the periodic table trying to control himself. "I'm not going to last long?" he panted.

"That's okay Spence, this time's for you. Let go and enjoy it. You can work on your stamina and pleasing me next time" Lila said kissing him.

Spencer came with a cry falling back on the bed breathing hard. "Wow" he whispered.

Lila snuggled up beside him expecting him to fall asleep for a while. "Feel good?" she asked.

"Better than any book described it" Spencer replied sleepily.

Lila laughed. "You live your life too much in books Spencer" she said.

"Books are predictable and reliable" Spencer said.

"But reading about life is not living" Lila argued stroking his chest.

"Too many endorphins and prostaglandins in my system to argue right now" Spencer replied.

Lila chucked and leaned up to kiss him.

Spencer kissed back languidly before running his hands over Lila's breasts. "Show me how to pleasure you" he said.

Lila ran her hand down his torso and along his reawakening erection. "Give it another minute and I don't think you'll have any problems with that."

Spencer blushed. "No, show me how to use my hands so I can make sure you come this time" he requested.

Lila lay back and took his hand moving to between her legs. "I'm pretty wet so nothing you do will hurt me unless you deliberately try so you can just take your time and explore" she said bluntly.

"You'll tell me when you like and don't like something?" Spencer asked.

"I'm pretty sure you'll be able to tell" Lila replied opening her legs wider.

"Can I sit up so I can see what I'm doing?" Spencer asked hesitantly trying to put into practice the things he'd read about female anatomy and orgasm.

Lila blushed a little at the thought of his intense curious gaze being directed at her most private places but nodded.

Spencer sat up and soon matched what he was feeling to the anatomical diagrams in the books he'd read. He slid one long finger into her and rubbed it gently along the anterior wall looking for her G spot. Her moans and the sudden gush of warm liquid let him know he'd found it and he continued rubbing moving his thumb to rub her clit on the outside. Lila was soon shrieking in orgasm. She collapsed bonelessly back on the bed and pulled Spencer's hand away as she became too sensitive.

"Wow" she whispered almost reverently. "You're a genius at this too."

"Reading can be useful sometimes" Spencer said proud of himself.

"Yeah but you have to admit that this was more fun than reading about it" Lila argues mildly.

"The practical application was enlightening" Spencer teased grinning.

Lila sat up and reached for another condom handing it to Spencer who awkwardly rolled it into place. "Didn't you learn to apply condoms in Health class at high school?" she asked.

"I was eleven when the senior year had that class. They sent me to the library" Spencer replied huffing as he remembered how upset he'd been at the time at having been banned from learning something. "Did I do it wrong?" he asked.

"No it's okay" Lila replied. "It just surprised me that you were totally amazing at getting me off with your fingers and then had trouble putting on a condom. Do you want me in control again or do you want to?"

"My turn" Spencer said moving over her and lining himself up carefully before thrusting in. He only lasted a little longer than last time but it was long enough for Lila to reach the edge and the warmth of his orgasm triggered hers and they collapsed together and drifted off to sleep both perfectly satisfied.

-o0o-

Lila had worried a little how Spencer would react the morning after but she needn't have. Spencer knew from Morgan's stories that the morning after could be awkward but took that to mean it was awkward when you didn't plan on seeing the woman again and she had expectations that you would. He wanted to keep seeing Lila and it wasn't like their sleeping together was a result of a drunken encounter or decision he regretted so he didn't see why he should feel awkward around her. He happily made breakfast after asking her about her diet restrictions.

"I would hate to follow this" he said quietly looking at the low fat low carb diet.

"I can't say I love it either but this body is what gets me roles and earns my paycheck. You put time and effort into maintaining and increasing your knowledge and abilities too" Lila replied smartly.

Spencer grinned. "Touché"

Lila was touched that he not only didn't make fun of her diet or dismiss the importance of it but actually tried to follow it with her to make it easier for her. (Except for the amount of sugar he put in his coffee of course.)

-o0o-

Lila stayed with Spencer for ten days, though Spencer was called away for a case for four days during that time, and they made plans to meet in Vegas for the reunion. They visited every art museum in the DC area and picnicked in the park avoiding the paparazzi as much as possible though they caught up with the couple a few times towards the end of their stay resulting in Spencer and Lila speeding off in opposite directions by taxi to try to keep where she was staying secret. Spencer found the cloak and dagger amusing but his lack of self-esteem caused him to believe that dating a geek like him would harm Lila's career.

Lila was quick to dispel those thoughts once she realised. "No Spence I'd gladly tell the whole world we are dating but having where you live made public wouldn't be safe for you. You never know who reads these stories. What if one of your unsubs found out your address? When you come to visit me in LA we can be as public as you want" she told him. "But be prepared for them to follow you for the rest of the visit."

Morgan and Elle teased Spencer relentlessly about his girlfriend but Spencer just grinned and told them they were jealous. Hotch gave the young agent as much time off as he could allowing him to leave each day as soon as he'd finished his work and Spencer for once stopped allowing Derek and Elle to sneak extra files into his stack. The two grumbled a bit until Gideon pulled them aside. "Are you really complaining about having to do your own work?" he asked. "I've let this slide until now because I wanted Reid to deal with it himself but it's up to him whether he helps you out or not and this week he's got other places to be. Stop trying to take advantage of his generosity."

"I didn't think he even noticed" Elle said guiltily.

"Oh he noticed. I wouldn't have let you get away with it if he didn't" Gideon replied returning to his office.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds or any of its characters.

Lila returned to LA and secured a small part in a new movie. She and Spencer spoke on the phone daily and each admitted they were missing the other's company. Spencer started spending longer hours at work again and letting Elle slip him extra files without letting on that he knew. Morgan on the other hand had approached him openly and apologised for doing it in the past.

"It's not like I minded. I'm glad to have things to do while I'm here" Spencer had replied calmly.

"Well feel free to grab the files off my desk anytime Pretty Boy" Derek had replied reaching up to ruffle his hair. Spencer ducked away sending him a mock annoyed look and things returned to normal between the two of them. The weeks past and soon the weekend of the high school reunion arrived. Spencer was still slightly nervous about going but his excitement at the thought of spending the weekend with Lila was overriding most of his worries.

-o0o-

Spencer's plane to Vegas arrived half an hour before Lila's and he used that time to pick up the keys to the rental car before waiting for her at the gate. She came out and greeted him with a warm smile having already warned him that public displays of affection in the airport would attract too much attention and that she didn't want to alert the paparazzi that she was in Vegas so soon.

Spencer was totally on board with the idea of avoiding press attention. The last thing he wanted them doing was turning up at his high school or talking to his old classmates.

"We can have a dramatic farewell scene when we leave" she offered giggling at the idea. "Though if you're going to do that then you should be careful you're not followed afterwards."

"I'm not one for dramatic PDA" Spencer reassured her laughing.

-o0o-

He drove into town pointing out the local landmarks and telling Lila stories of his time in the city, careful to keep to the more lightweight and cheerful rememberences.

"Is this where you would've stayed if I wasn't with you?" Lila asked looking around the luxury room at the Bellagio.  
"No I normally stay in a small motel out near Bennington, or in my old neighbourhood"  
"You didn't have to book an expensive suite to impress me Spencer. I would have been happy to stay where you normally do. We stay in some pretty cheap motels when we're on location. The movies only look glamorous most of the time it's tedious routine work and scrimping and saving to meet the budget unless you're a really big name star." Lila said.  
"So do we when I travel with the team. I wanted somewhere nicer for the two of us" Spencer replied. "Don't worry about the cost. This is Vegas I can easily win back the money."

"I look forward to seeing that. Can we go out to the casinos tonight?" Lila asked.

"Sure if you're not too tired" Spencer replied.

They had a nice dinner in one of the smarter restaurants then Lila followed Spencer from casino to casino watching him turn one hundred dollars into nearly sixteen thousand by the end of the evening.

"We need to go and spend some of this in the gift shop" Spencer said leaving the tables at the last casino.

"Why?" Lila asked confused.

"I won a little too much in one place I'd like to ensure their good will" Spencer explained.

They looked around and Lila found a beautiful leather messenger bag a lot like the almost worn out one Spencer used most of the time. "You should get this" she said.

"I wanted to buy you a present" Spencer said.

"I don't need a present. It's enough that you paid for my flight and the accommodation and everything" Lila protested.

"I know but I want to get you something" Spencer replied.

"You should still get this" Lila said determinedly. "Even if you put it away until your other one wears out completely. Buy me something another day if you must."

Spencer gave in and bought the bag and Lila led him back to their rooms and they showed each other just how much they'd missed being together.

"Wow" Spencer breathed in the aftermath. "It's amazing how much I missed being with you like that."

"Well you didn't know what you were missing before" Lila said practically.

"Yeah but it isn't just sex. I may not be very social but I could easily find someone to have sex with if that's all I wanted. It was being with you. This living on opposite sides of the country is going to be tougher than I thought" Spencer replied.

"you could easily pick up someone to sleep with?" Lila teased.

"Yeah I normally get propositioned and offered a free ride by every female prostitute we come across" Spencer explained. "Morgan thinks it's hilarious."

"And you've never been tempted?" Lila asked.

"No most of them I just feel kind of sorry for. It wouldn't feel right to use them like that" Spencer replied.

"That's what I love about you Spence. You've got empathy for everyone you meet. I've never met anyone with a heart as bug as yours. And you're so much smarter than everyone around you and yet you never make people feel like they're not smart enough to be friends with you" Lila said kissing him. "You're a truly amazing man Spencer Reid!"

-o0o-

"It hasn't changed at all" Spencer said as he and Lila walked into the school gym for the reunion the next night. "It's strange because most of downtown Vegas and my old neighbourhood just east of here has changed so much

"It's decorated just the same as it was for prom" the girl at the check in table said. "But I don't remember either of you. You look too young, are you sure you're in the right place?"

Between the confidence from losing his virginity and knowing that Lila found him sexually attractive and the boost he got from knowing he was with the most beautiful person in the room and she only had eyes for him, Spencer was almost unrecognisable as the shy awkward geek he'd been even months before let alone the twelve year old kid he'd been last time he'd seen most of these people. Dressed in an impeccably fitting expensive suit, a silk shirt and tie whose colours highlighted his complexion perfectly Spencer looked impressive, attractive and powerful, almost like he could have been old money, in short a lot like a younger version of Aaron Hotchner.

"Spencer Reid" Spencer said dryly. "Finally old enough that being six years younger than everyone else in the class no longer means being the smallest as well. He recognised the girl as someone who'd tried to be nice to him in a condescending way while they were in school. He hadn't liked her but he'd sometimes been glad of her presence as she was popular enough to stop most of the bullies from harassing him while she was there.

"Little Spencer!" she exclaimed looking up at his six foot one height. "I didn't expect you to come" she admitted.

Spencer shrugged. "There are a few people I wanted to catch up with."

"Well I'm glad you did. You look good" she said smirking. "Go show those bullies that they didn't win this time."

"Thanks Mary. You look good too. It was nice to see you again" Spencer replied politely moving off as the next couple arrived.

Spencer frowned when he saw the metal detectors at the doors between the lobby and the hall.  
"Ready to draw way too much attention for all the wrong reasons?" He asked Lila.  
"Huh?" Lila asked.  
"Metal detectors" Spencer said pointing. "You can go through separately and join me after everyone stops staring if you'd like" he offered.  
"Why would that be a problem. Oh, you're armed? Seriously are you expecting the bullies to be that bad?" Lila asked sympathetically taking a step closer to him linking her arm with his.  
"No it's a requirement that all federal agents are armed in public. Remember how I had to use my badge to bypass the detectors at the museums? And it makes sense with the types of crimes we investigate. The BAU get quite a bit of TV coverage if you're looking for things like that" Spencer replied matter-of-factly.  
"We'll let's do this then" Lila said linking her arm with his and stepping forward with him.  
Spencer fished out his ID ready to show anyone who tried to stop them when the alarm went off if it was actually on.  
The alarm blared as they walked through and they were stopped by the PE teacher who was acting as security.  
"I'm armed" Spencer said calmly showing his badge.  
"So long as you're not planning to create trouble. What about you miss?" The guy said.  
"I'm not armed. Would you like me to walk through again?"  
"I'm not looking for trouble. But I'm also not going to lay down and let the football team humiliate me again. Though I doubt I'd have to draw my weapon to stop them I would if I have to" Spencer said firmly.  
"Can't say I blame you for that. So little Spencer Reid grew up to join the FBI. I thought you'd get a PhD in mathematics and be working for NASA or some research lab" Mr Matsumi the math teacher said.  
"I have PhDs in mathematics, chemistry and engineering as well as bachelor degrees in psychology and criminology. I consult for cryptography and the NSA when were not on a case" Spencer said. "Believe it or not I do use a lot of my education. And what I do is important and something few people could do."  
"I'm not criticising Spencer. I'm glad you've found something you find rewarding" Mr Matsumi said smiling. "I would love for you to come and speak to my senior class about how you use mathematics in law enforcement. My junior classes as well. It would be great if you could make them see that what they're learning can have practical applications. Might motivate the little blighters to actually pay attention."  
Spencer looked at his teacher assessingly. "I'm not much of a public speaker and I'm only here for the weekend but I could give you a call and set something up for next time I come to visit Mom" he offered seeing that the man seemed keen to actually have him come.  
"I'll let you get back to your date" the teacher said.  
"Oh sorry. Lila this is my math teacher Mr Matsumi. Mr Matsumi this is my girlfriend Lila Archer" Spencer said embarrassed at having forgotten to introduce her.

-o0o-

"Hello Lila" Parker Dunley said walking over. "This is a surprise!"  
"Parker" Lila greeted coolly. "I'd forgotten you went to school with Spence."

"Ouch" Parker said clasping a hand to his heart dramatically. "You and Spencer must be pretty serious for him to bring you here. How's that work out living on opposite sides of the country?"  
"It would be nice to live in the same city but we both travel so much with work that it doesn't make much difference" Lila replied. "It's nice to have someone so completely out of the movie world to talk to. And someone I know isn't trying to become famous by being with me."  
"I wouldn't have thought you'd have anything in common" Parker said. "I mean Reid barely lives in the real world let alone the Hollywood world."  
Lila smiled. "Spencer's intelligent, well read and with his reading speed and unending curiosity he can quickly learn to understand anything I'm interested in if he doesn't already and his job gives him some unique insights. He says he enjoys talking to someone normal."  
'And Lila enjoyed being treated as a normal person. I can't compete with that' Parker thought. "We'll it's good to see you again. Come by the gallery soon. We have an exhibit opening next week that I think you'd really enjoy."  
"When does it finish? I'll be in DC with Spencer for the next few weeks" Lila replied.

Parker headed for the bar. "Who's the hottie?" Carl asked as he joined them.  
"If I was with a woman like that I don't think I'd leave her on her own" Jeremy commented.  
"She looks familiar" Bianca said.  
"Lila Archer the actress. We're friends in LA but she's here tonight with her boyfriend, Spencer Reid" Parker replied sighing.  
"Dorky little Spencer Reid can pull a woman like that" Carl snorted derisively. "Pull the other one."  
"He saved her from a serial killer. That's hard to compete with" Parker explained wryly. "Lila talks about him like he's her personal Superhero."  
"That's even more unbelievable. Where is the kid anyway?" Carl asked.  
Parker looked around. "Talking to principal Malone" he said gesturing.  
"Serious?" Bianca said looking at the tall man in the perfectly fitting suit. "He doesn't look like a geek at all."  
"He did when I saw him in LA. Three PhDs and his gun strapped awkwardly to his belt" Parker said. "The suit's probably Lila's influence."  
"Gun?" Carl asked shocked.  
"He joined the FBI" Parker explained. "He's part of some elite unit that travels all over the country hunting serial killers."  
"He always was good at talking people out of hurting him unless he was outnumbered" Jeremy remembered impressed.  
"Yeah and now according to Lila he can stand there and talk a crazy person pointing a gun at a victim out of shooting someone before he can move in and disarm and arrest them" Parker replied secretly impressed by his former classmate.

-o0o-

"We'll look who's here. I thought you'd be too embarrassed to show your face" Alexa said as she walked past, annoyed that the geek had actually brought a girl younger and prettier than she was.  
"I did nothing wrong. It's you that should be ashamed of your behavior" Spencer replied.  
"Why you little shit. I should..."  
"I wouldn't" Spencer said calmly but firmly. "Assaulting a federal agent will have much more serious consequences than assaulting an eleven year old kid who's mother was too unwell to complain to the police about the abuse."

"A federal agent?!" Alexa scoffed in disbelief.  
"You mean you're some sort of geeky analyst who archives information brought in by the real agents" Clayton Horworth stated.  
"No I'm a profiler for the Behavioral Analysis Unit. A Supervisory Special Agent" Spencer replied.

"Behavioral Analysis? What's that?" Harper asked.

"We use victimology and what we know of the unsub's behavior to profile what sort of person we're looking for and to identify the unsub" Spencer explained.  
"I didn't understand a word of that" Harper said.

"We study the victims and the crime scenes and the organization and rituals of the crimes to try to work out why the unsub (unknown subject, the killer, rapist or arsonist we're looking for) chose them and apply what we know of behavior to profile what the unsub will be and then look for people that fit the profile" Spencer attempted to explain in words a child could understand, careful to keep from sounding too patronising.

"You're still scrawny, I bet you'd still fit into a locker. You wouldn't tell anyone. You'd be too embarrassed" Steve said.  
"You're all betting your entire future on me being one of the 47% who won't report a physical assault?" Spencer asked looking around the group and turning his attention to those he thought he could influence.  
"Keep in mind I have no reason to be ashamed of being unable to fight the whole group of you off" Spencer replied. "Not to mention that I'm mandated to report any act of violence or assault even if it is against me. I had good reasons for not wanting the police or child service's attention as a child. That reason no longer exists" Spencer said appearing calm.  
Steve still looked belligerent but the others looked hesitant and several stepped back a little.  
Spencer nodded "Enjoy your evening guys" he said and walked away.  
Steve went to follow but stopped when he realised his friends weren't following him. "You can't seriously be planning to let him get away with that?" he demanded.  
"The little brat is right. Assaulting a federal agent would lead to serious jail time. And my dad's not in a position to bail me out of that sort of trouble" Byron said.  
You really believe he's a fed?" Steve hooted derisively.  
"You weren't here when he arrived. He set off the metal detectors and then held something up to the guards and they didn't search him" Harper said.  
"You think he's armed?" Clayton asked.  
"He probably don't have the guts to face us without a gun. I doubt a geek like him could hit the side of a barn anyway" Steve scoffed.  
"That doesn't mean he can't hit the person next to you by accident" Byron said, 'and I don't plan to be that person' was clearly expressed though not stated aloud.  
"Federal agents are required by law to pass firearm training before they can carry and to be armed while in public. I'd reckon he could probably hit what he's aiming at" Warrick Brown said. "I was at the range with a couple of guys from one of the other BAU teams and they were drawing smiley faces on the target at 50 yards." He knew that didn't necessarily mean Reid could shoot but it made Steve back off which was good because he didn't want to have to arrest his friend.

"You seemed impressed by him?" Alexa said.

"We called the BAU in for a case not long ago They're the best of the best, the elite of the FBI. I can see Reid doing work like that" Warrick admitted. "I'd back off if I were you. He won't take your abuse anymore and he's right you'd end up in the federal penitentiary for assaulting an FBI agent."

-o0o-

Spencer moved around the hall introducing Lila to various people, mostly staff. Lila was sad to think that he'd been so isolated during high school when her own high school years were still the best of her life.  
Spencer kept an eye on the arrivals knowing his best friend was likely to be one of the last to arrive, but he didn't show.  
"You seem disappointed" Lila said catching him glancing at the entrance again. At first she thought it was just the agent's desire to know exactly who was arriving but she couldn't miss the way his face fell a little when he saw each of the late arrivals.  
"I'd hoped my best friend would come. He lives in New Orleans now and I haven't seen him since he dropped out of the FBI academy" Spencer said.  
"What's he do now?" Lila asked.  
"He plays piano in a jazz club" Spencer replied grinning.  
"That's a huge change in direction" Lila exclaimed. "Perhaps you could go visit him."  
"All my leave is spent visiting my Mom or completing my studies . I keep hoping we'll get a case down there though that sounds bad doesn't it? Hoping New Orleans has a serial killer?"  
"It's not like you're encouraging someone to start killing and if you're not there you'd be somewhere else. Do you get any choice which cases your team gets?" Lila asked.  
"No usually when a case gets to us it's so urgent that the first available team gets sent" Spencer replied.  
"I wondered why you weren't the team sent to Los Vegas" Warrick said overhearing the question and answer as he walked by.  
Spencer shrugged. "It would have been nice to get a free visit to Mom but it will happen eventually. Vegas attracts the desperate. Like we're more likely to be sent to Florida during spring break" Spencer explained. "LVPD have the second best solve rate on murders in the country, so we don't get called in as often as you'd expect given the crime rate."  
"I didn't know that" Warrick said as he walked by. "Who's first?"  
"DC, they have the best resources. Of course the statistics only include cities that have more than ten murders per year" Spencer replied. "Thanks for helping talk down Steve earlier" he added quietly.  
"I'm just sorry I didn't try back when we were in school. I'm sorry man. You didn't deserve that"  
"Nobody does. The school should have done more to prevent it. Thankfully most schools are slowly learning that. Not quickly enough though. Most of the high school shootings and bombings are perpetrated by kids who have been bullied until they snap and there's still an average of one point three school shootings every week in America though luckily most of them aren't tragic enough to attract the national press coverage."

"More than one shooting per week! You must be joking" Lila exclaimed.

"I'm afraid not there were 54 school shootings last year killing more than 30 people and nearly that many in colleges across the country as well" Spencer replied.  
"I guess we should be lucky you never snapped. With your brain you could probably have reinvented a nuclear bomb" Warrick replied.  
"No I think I would probably have introduced poisonous gas into the air conditioning in the gym" Spencer admitted. "I did think about it for a minute there. You're all lucky I was still too young for teenage hormones and rage. That and I couldn't risk getting caught because I needed to look after my Mom."  
Lila laughed but Warrick shuddered. It didn't take a profiler to see that Spencer was deadly serious.  
"I'm sorry it got that bad for you" he said seriously.  
"I was an easy target. I didn't have anyone to defend me" Spencer said.

"What about your family?" Warrick asked.

"My Dad walked out when I was ten and I havent heard from him since. My Mom has schizophrenia. She had a bad year that year, she wasn't capable of contacting the school to complain" Spencer replied.

-o0o-

"Warrick thinks you're carrying a gun" Harper said stopping Spencer as he went to get himself and Lila a drink.

"All federal agents are required to be armed in public" Spencer said mildly.

"I don't believe you" Harper said reaching out to try and open Spencer's jacket.

Spencer moved quickly to place his hand on his weapon to protect it from being taken.

"You ever killed anyone with it?" Clayton asked.

"Not with this gun" Spencer replied. "With my backup Glock I have and I once managed to shoot an unsub with his own gun but I prefer this one. I can shoot straighter with a revolver at a distance. Shooting suspects is always a last resort, I'd prefer to talk them down or disarm them if I can."

"That sounds more like you Wuss" Harper said nastily.

"You can't learn much from a dead man" Spencer said dryly. "Especially if they have victims hidden somewhere that might be still alive it's important not to kill them if you can avoid it." He turned and walked away before they could malign him further.

Dinner was called and they found seats careful to sit away from the troublemakers.

A/N: Thank you to DarkJediQueen, diehardcriminalminds, Tannerose 5, lillysmj, Owens Ash, Malicia88, norjunior, iluvhotchme, Sazzita, giderasia, tommot31 and janeway1979 for your support.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds or any of its characters.

Chapter 3

Dinner was served and Spencer found some people to sit with that had mostly ignored him or been mildly friendly in high school. His dinner companions were all polite, pleased to meet Lila Archer and interested in what everyone had been doing since graduation. Spencer could tell that some of them were exaggerating their achievements and other's hiding something they were slightly ashamed of, but chose to let them get away with it merely smirking a little to Lila. He started to think the evening was going well and then he found out about the between courses entertainment, and worse who was running it.

"Okay everyone, Harper and I were looking through our yearbook and laughing at the senior year superlatives and we decided to see how many of our predictions came true" Alexa said into the microphone as Harper brought out the whiteboard and someone else set up the computer to project photo's on the screen.

"This isn't going to go well is it?" Lila asked seeing several people look away already embarrassed or anxiously moving to the back of the room.

"Considering how mean spirited many of the predictions were originally I expect it to go very badly unless Alexa and Harper have grown some compassion" Spencer replied quietly. "and from our brief meetings with them this evening I don't believe they have. I'd get up and leave if it wouldn't look like I was running away."

"You're not the only one who wants to run away" Lila pointed out. "You've got absolutely nothing to be ashamed of Spencer. It was their failings that made them treat you so badly not yours, and I'd bet a year's salary that there isn't a single person here more successful than you are. I have a lot of experience in working with women like that and what they don't realise is that most people see them for what they are sooner or later. No matter what they say about you tonight won't change the way I feel, it won't change the way your team trusts you, it can't affect your life at all unless you let it. " She squeezed his hand supportively.

"Thanks Lila" Spencer said gratefully. "I actually am aware of that. Becoming a profiler allowed me to look back over my high school years with a bit more detachment. I'm still embarrassed about a couple of the memories but mostly I feel anger that the teachers allowed it to escalate to the level it did."

Harper held up their senior year yearbook and started to read. The yearbook photo of each person she mentioned flashed up on the screen.

"The person voted likely to be the first to get married was, Lacey Johnson. Lacey's not here but I went to her wedding. She got married the September after we graduated" Harper said. "Was anyone married before then?"

Nobody answered. "We'll call that one correct then. Lacey and Pierson were both also voted most likely to marry their high school sweetheart so mark that one true as well" Alexa said making two ticks under the 'came true' column on the whiteboard.

Spencer rolled his eyes. "That's not much of a prediction, I heard that the invitations went out the week before voting ended" he told Lila making her chuckle

"Next we have the person most likely to be arrested was Wyatt Shelton. Is he here?" Alexa asked.  
"He's in prison for armed robbery" Warrick called out.

"Well I guess that one's definitely true" Alexa said laughing as she marked the board again.

"Most likely to become a millionaire, Wendell Tuckerson you're here, stand up. How has that gone for you?" Harper asked interestedly.

"I'm just over half way there" Wendell said proudly.

"Congratulations" Harper said grinning at him flirtatiously. "Do we have any other millionaires here or do we count that one as still probable."

Spencer blushed and stood up. "I'm a millionaire" he said honestly.

"I didn't think the FBI paid that well, even for their BAU superstars" Warrick called out. "Maybe I should call Catherine and see if she has a place for me on her team.

"Sorry Warrick, most of my income comes from my patents, share investments and poker" Spencer replied grinning at the man.

Warrick sighed. "Just as well I think I'd prefer to stay at the crime lab and deal with cold hard facts."

Alexa frowned as she silently added a tick to the false column.

"Most likely to earn a PhD No surprises there, it was unanimous the whole class voted for Spencer Reid but apparently he joined the FBI instead" Harper said waspishly.

"I have PhDs in mathematics, chemistry and engineering before I joined the FBI and I'm currently working on one in sociology and its impact on forensic psychology" Spencer replied.

"When do you find the time?" Lila asked.

"Studying relaxes me" Spencer replied shrugging. Lila laughed.

"Amelia Wiggins was voted the most likely to become a cat lady" Alexa announced.

"I only have two cats" Amelia exclaimed crossly. "And I'm engaged, so no I won't becoming an old maid with a dozen cats any time soon." Her fiancé took her hand and she calmed down.

"The most likely to go on a reality TV show. I give you Grant Meechudhone" Harper said gesturing to her friend.

"I've auditioned for a couple but apparently I need more of an attention grabbing story" Grant replied calmly.

"Or good looks, and a genuine or likeable personality" Lila added quietly to Spencer.

Spencer grinned and nodded. "He never had a chance. I would have predicted he'd be good at door to door sales or a used car salesman, something just this side of legal. He exudes insincerity."

Lila laughed and nodded.

"The most votes for likely to gain 200lb went to Cherise Huffer" Alexa said into the microphone. "I don't see her here anywhere."

An extremely slender girl stood up. "That would be a no" Cherise replied firmly.

"She was the prettiest non-popular girl in the class" Spencer told Lila. "Most of those votes would've been pure spite."

"The most likely to still be living at home with his Mommy and Daddy. Again the winner was Spencer Reid" Harper said laughing.

"I left home at twelve and I've never moved back" Spencer said dryly. "But someone else probably is. My vote went to Tracy Mead."

"Is she here tonight?" Harper asked. There was no answer.

"I guess we'll never know" Alexa said waspishly.

"Yeah she does. Her Mom's real sick and she spends most of her time looking after them" Tracy's friend admitted glaring at Spencer.

"Her mother's narcissistic and Tracy's her favourite victim. I doubt she's really sick enough to need a carer" Spencer explained softly to Lila. "They lived up the street from us."

"Terrence Howlingson was voted the most likely to receive a lifetime ban from a casino" Harper read out.

"No I've been thrown out of a few but I've never been told not to come back" Terrence said good naturedly.

"I'm afraid that's also me, I've been banned from nine" Spencer replied laughing.

"What on earth for?" Lila asked.

"My eidetic memory makes it look like I'm counting cards which isn't allowed here in Vegas" Spencer explained. "I've learned to be more careful since then."

"So you're still cheating?" Alexa accused.

"No cheating is trying to influence what cards you're given. I'm just taking full advantage of knowing more about poker and probabilities than most people. It's no more cheating than using my memory to advance classes was" Spencer replied calmly. "It's not illegal the casinos just don't like it."

"Most likely to join the marines was a tie between Joseph Searns and Keith Hulsey. We have a marine here. Did either of them join?" Harper asked.

"Hulsey was killed in Afghanistan 2009 and Searns is currently serving overseas" their friend Tommy O'Reardon replied.  
Harper was silent for a moment, then said soberly. "Jacob Green was voted most likely to join the navy and also the most likely to become a pilot. Is he here tonight?"  
"No he couldn't get leave. He's not a pilot but he's working on the flight deck of an aircraft carrier" Jacob's best friend said proudly.

"Miranda Levitt, did you become a schoolteacher?" Alexa asked.

"Yes I teach second grade" Miranda replied smiling.

"Score that one correct, now the next prediction is that Veronica Emmott is the most likely to take heroin, but I guess nobody will be admitting to that with the FBI here"

"She's not here tonight and we lost touch about five years ago when her marriage broke up. Has anyone seen or heard from her recently?" her former best friend asked, nervously looking at Warrick and Spencer.

"I haven't seen or heard of her" Warrick said sympathetically. "But then I only hear about incidences that occur during the night shift, there's no guarantee she hasn't been pulled in my day or swing."

"Couldn't Penelope find her" Lila said softly to Spencer.

"Of course but not without breaking the rules and neither of them were friendly when I was a student. I'm not prepared to let Garcia risk getting in trouble by looking up someone unrelated to a case" Spencer explained. 

"Joey Trevelyn was predicted to be most likely to drive a Ferrari. What do you drive Joey?" Alexa asked.  
"I just bought a Monaro. It's great fun to drive, better than a Ferrari" Joey said enthusiastically making everybody laugh.

"For the record I guess we should ask if anyone else drives a Ferrari?" Alexa called out.

"I do" Wendell Tuckerson called back.

"Race you. Any time any place you name it. I'll show you my Monaro's better than your Ferrari" Joey shouted.

"Street racing's illegal Joey so I think I'll pass on that one" Wendell replied.

"Patricia Leyton-Smith was voted Least likely to ever break the law and least likely to ever drive above the speed limit. I know Patricia's here tonight" Harper called.  
"Of course I haven't broken the law" Patricia exclaimed.  
"Not that she'd admit it with the bloody FBI here" Steve Atkinson yelled out.  
"I hunt serial killers for a living. I'm not going to be concerned about petty crimes but I'm not the only member of law enforcement here tonight" Spencer replied dryly.

"Hayley Barberton was voted most likely to not turn up to their own wedding. She hasn't turned up tonight but I was at her wedding a couple of years ago and I'm very pleased to say she was even less than an hour late" Harper said. "Anyone else willing to admit they didn't turn up to their wedding?"

Not surprisingly there was no takers for this one and they moved on. 

"Tatiana Cubrilovic was voted most likely to end up being a pole dancer" Alexa said smirking.  
"I'm not a pole dancer. I'm a show girl at the Tangiers" Tatiana stated proudly. "I perform at eight and ten o'clock Sunday through Thursday in the Stardust lounge."  
"I'm sure the Tangiers will thank us for the free advertising" Alexa said snidely.

"Fabien Minechello you were predicted to release a successful music record. Are you still playing in a band?"  
"I'm in a covers band we play most Friday and Saturday nights around the pub circuit in Dallas" Fabien replied. "I cut a demo of original songs a year or so ago which we sell at our concerts but the record producers weren't impressed with it.

"Okay I guess that one's still possible then" Alexa said doubtfully. "Unless anyone else has released an album and I'm sure I would have heard if anyone did so successfully."

Nobody spoke up.

First divorce was a tie between Miguel Sanchez and Jayla Oayne. Now far as I know they didn't marry each other so who will be the winner?" Harper asked looking at the pair.  
"No I've never married" Miguel replied. Everyone laughed as he added shuddering. "I've been engaged a couple of times but both my fiancés turned into bridezilla so I got out of there as quick as I could."

"I'm a divorce attorney. I've seen too many horrible divorces to consider getting married myself" Jayla replied.  
"So looks like that prophesy was wrong" Alexa said marking it on the score chart. "Though we weren't wrong in for seeing that neither of them would ever believe in 'happily ever after'."

"Likely to write a bestselling novel. Shannon Parker won that one. She didn't come tonight but she's working as a journalist for 'okay magazine' so we'll score that one as possible unless anyone else has written a novel" Harper said glaring at Spencer.

"Most likely to cure cancer, Spencer Reid" Harper said.  
"No I told you that you were wrong at the time, I would have predicted that for Zach Lewinski, my interest never lay in medial research" Spencer replied.  
"Okay, Zack are you looking for a cure for cancer?" Harper asked.  
"No I specialised in virology. I'm currently working on the team trying to find a vaccine for Ebola" Zach replied not admitting that he was a lab tech.

"You were also voted the most likely to still have nightmares of your high school years Little Spencer. How do you sleep? Alexa asked maliciously.  
Lila looked worried because she was aware Spencer did indeed suffer from fairly frequent nightmares.  
Spencer laughed slightly bitterly. "Since joining the BAU I've been regularly exposed to the dead bodies of people that have been killed in unspeakable ways, survivors who have been tortured to the point they'll never fully recover, some of them children, I've been shot at, beaten, kidnapped and tortured, forcibly injected with Dilaudid, almost blown up and put in a position where I had no choice but to kill the unsub twice. High school doesn't rate a place in my nightmares, but on the whole I think I probably sleep better than you'd expect."  
"And you say you enjoy your job?" Parker asked incredulously.  
"It satisfies something in me that pure research didn't. It occupies all of my intellect and it makes a real difference" Spencer replied.  
"You can also put me down against the most likely to take heroin as nobody else is likely to admit to it. Dilaudid is hospital grade heroin and while I had no way of stopping Tobias from injecting me I was addicted by the time I was rescued. Thankfully I had the support of Lila and my team to get me over it."  
"I don't think that counts man" Warrick said supportively. Lila nodded.

"Jessica Renahan was voted most likely to wake up married to a stranger.  
"Come on I grew up in Vegas that's a tourist mistake" Jessica said laughing. "Mind you if I found a stranger rich and famous enough to pay me to keep it quiet and go away I would be tempted to take advantage." Everyone laughed, Spencer somewhat uneasily as he recognised the truth in that statement.

"Nerissa Martinez was voted most likely to Become a movie star but also most likely to become a prostitute. I'm sure I would have heard if she'd become a movie star so what are you doing now Nerissa?" Alexa asked smirking.  
"Teaching drama at West Vegas High" Nerissa replied.

"Okay score that one a fail, does anyone here work in the movie industry? Or work as a sex worker for that matter? Come on girls it's free advertisement" Harper called out making the crowd laugh.  
"I've done voices for a couple of movies that came out earlier in the year but I'm mostly working on stand up comedy" Dana Snyder said.  
"Which movies, would it have been shown here?"  
"'Dante's Inferno' and 'Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon'" Dana replied.  
"I never saw them" Alexa said dismissively.  
"They were a financial success" Dana replied shrugging.

"I've seen both of them they were good. Which characters did you voice?" Lila asked.

"Any sex workers out there?" Harper called changing the subject. No-one answered though Spencer noticed a few women glancing around mostly in the direction of the dates their ex boyfriends had brought along this evening.

"Jessica Mitchell you were predicted to have half a dozen children" Alexa announced.  
"Do you have any idea how much half a dozen children would cost?" Jessica asked incredulously.

"$1,470,000 at the minimum, Spencer supplied helpfully"  
"What?" Jessica asked.

"The most conservative estimates are that an average child will cost their parents $245,000 by the time they turn twenty one. Of course that doesn't include the additional costs if the child wants to attend a private or interstate college or assisting with their wedding expenses so half a dozen would cost at least $1,470,000 most probably significantly more than that if you were to bring them up well to be productive members of society" Spencer explained.

"We're definitely stopping with the two we have" Jessica replied firmly.  
"By that calculation you're the only man in the room that could afford half a dozen children. Perhaps we should change Jessica's name to yours" Harper said teasingly.  
Spencer literally shuddered.

"Definitely not" Lila shouted back.

Most likely to have a sex change went to Cindi Parmagiarni She's not here tonight. Has anyone seen him or her recently?" Harper asked.  
"That's cruel" Lila said shocked. "The teacher representatives shouldn't have allowed that to be printed in the yearbook."  
"I found some of the teachers here were extremely negligent about bullying" Spencer replied.  
"SHE committed suicide the year after graduation" Cindi's best fried replied angrily. "She made the mistake of going to UNLV and the stupid rumours and bullying followed her there. She thought that dying was the only way to escape the unceasing torture you put her through so I hope you're all proud of yourselves."

Harper looked slightly shaken by the attack, particularly when she saw several people were nodding their agreement.

"Maddison Kinsleigh was voted most likely to try to save the world. What are you doing these days?" Alexa asked.  
"I'm an environmental lawyer and I volunteer at habitats for humanity" Maddison replied smiling.  
"We'll we can definitely mark that one as true" Alexa said marking the board.

"I think catching serial killer's also counts as saving the world" Lila told Spencer quietly.

"Thanks Lila" Spencer said kissing her cheek. 

"Damian Kilbridie was voted most likely to play professional sport. I followed you when you played a couple of years of college football and then you dropped out of the media. What happened?" Alexa asked.  
"Too many classes missed for training and travelling to games and too much partying with the team when we won" Damian said laughing regretfully, trying to make light of the situation. 

"Lachlan McGregor was voted the most likely to go to the Olympics" Alexa read out, looking around the room.  
"She doesn't recognise him" Lila said.  
"Not surprising I doubt she ever knew who he was" Spencer replied.  
"We'll I went and watched all the track events but I never made it past the first round of trials" Lachlan admitted shrugging.  
"Are you going to try again next time" Harper asked.  
'How did I not notice how stupid she was' Spencer thought to himself.  
"No I'll be too old" Lachlan said, sounding like he agreed with Spencer.

"Well obviously Anthony Randle hasn't become president of the United States yet but are you still working in that direction Anthony?" Alexa asked.  
"I'm a county prosecutor which is a good stepping stone to political office" Anthony replied. "I'm beginning to think I'd rather move to a private law firm though."  
"So we'll mark that one down as feasible. Does anyone else have political aspirations?" Alexa declared ticking the white board.  
"Do you think he could be president one day?" Lila asked.  
"No he doesn't have the financial backing and he's not from an old political party" Spencer replied quietly. "He could end up as the district attorney or even the mayor if he's lucky but even that's likely to take more influence than he currently has."

Most likely to be happy. The vote went to Juanita Rodriguez. How about it Juanita are you happy?"  
"Most of the time I am" Juanita confirmed.

"And last but not least Sean Caldwell was voted the most likely to gamble away their life" Harper said.  
"I don't have a gambling problem" Sean said calmly.  
"That's what they all say" Alexa said snidely.  
Sean frowned slightly but chose not to argue.  
"He's telling the truth he doesn't have a problem" Spencer said.  
"How can you tell?" Harper asked.  
"Can you always tell if someone's lying?" Alexa asked.  
"Usually unless the person is a very good and habitual liar or they believe the lie themselves" Spencer replied. "It's in your body language, facial micro-expressions and voice regulation." The others sitting on his table suddenly looked uncomfortable and shifted in their seats uneasily.  
"So he could believe he doesn't have a problem when he does?" Warrick said remembering his own years of denying he had a gambling problem.  
"No if he had a problem he'd be aware of it on some level even if he was in denial and react defensively" Spencer explained. "I'm not saying he doesn't gamble at all but that he genuinely knows he doesn't have a problem, meaning he isn't losing money he can't afford to lose and his family and friends aren't complaining to him about his gambling."

"You know you'd be an annoying person to have around. Everyone lies about something" Parker said.  
"Yeah, our team has a moratorium on intra-team profiling and I try not to profile my friends but it isn't always easy to turn it off" Spencer replied unoffended.

"That gives us 13 predictions that were true, 22 that were proved false and 2 that it's too soon to tell. I'd say we did pretty well at predicting the future" Harper surmised cheerfully

Spencer rolled his eyes.

"Could you have made better predictions?" Lila asked.

"Not at twelve. I didn't know most of these people well enough to know what they truly wanted to do with their lives let alone if they were likely to succeed" Spencer replied honestly. "I could now, possibly make more accurate predictions about this year's seniors after spending a couple of days with them."

Lila laughed and the subject was dropped.

A/N: Thank you to DarkJediQueen, Flowerfairy30, tannerose5, diehardcriminalminds, sina-lina95, Dream and Hope, Gubler84, Fringefan2036, mandyem92, paramorerox813 and SciFiLvr13 for your support.


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds or any of its characters.

Chapter 4

"You've really changed" Parker admitted.

"It's a natural part of growing up. I may have changed a great deal since finishing high school but I think I've probably changed less since I was twelve than most of you have since you were that age" Spencer replied amused.

Warrick thought back to when he was twelve in the sixth grade and had to agree. "You were far more grown up at twelve than I was. We all forgot you were just a kid" he said apologetically.

"People often equate high IQ and advanced learning ability with increased maturity. Studies have shown its often the opposite though it's a myth that people with high IQ tend to have poor people skills and emotional intelligence. In fact, the majority of genius are capable of very good profiling and people skills. The problem is generally that they isolate themselves in academia and only spend time with others in their field. Added to the fact that students with a high IQ are advanced through the grades quickly to prevent them from becoming bored and therefore do not grow up with the experiences of interacting with their peers so it takes longer to become familiar with normal human interaction" Spencer replied.

"Are you saying you would have been better off left in the class with children your own age?" Victor Malone asked.

"No I would have died of boredom or become depressed from the lack of challenge. I'm sure you're aware that it is under stimulated students like that that can cause the most disruption in the classroom. Now think what I could have done if I lost interest in learning for learning's sake" Spencer said bluntly.

All the teachers within hearing shuddered. "So what is the answer?" Mr Matsumi of them asked.

"Separate schools for the gifted are making a difference, and if I have a child that is smart enough to be advanced I would get them involved in some non-academic activity they enjoy with children their own age so they can socialise. Dad tried that for a while with T-ball but it wasn't the right activity for me and I lost interest when he left."

"So was college better for you than high school?" Miranda Leavitt asked hoping he would be able to say yes.

Spencer smiled. "I loved Caltech and at first I thought I wanted to stay there forever, but after a while it started to feel confining and repetitive like high school did. Profiling for NSA satisfies something that academia didn't. I know My research could help people in the future but you never meet the people you help"

"I thought that would have suited you. You were always so awkward with people" Zach Lewinski replied. The others smirked at that. Zach had been just as awkward as Spencer and hadn't had the excuse of being younger than the rest of the class.

"Here at school yes. And I still sometimes struggle in social situations but being at the FBI has helped with that. My friends accept me for who I am and have taught me to be proud of what I can do, even if I know they think me a little odd at times."

Lila laughed. "Your oddness is charming" she reassured him.

"So what hasn't changed about Spencer Reid?" Warrick Brown asked.

"I still love to learn new things though most of my deliberate learning is directed at things that might help in my job" Spencer replied. "I also love facts and statistics and sometimes I forget that other people aren't as fascinated with them as I am."

I'm wondering how someone who remembers everything they hear can be so out of touch with most modern pop culture" Parker Dunley asked.

"I prefer classical music and some of the older Jazz and science fiction to most of the mainstream music and movies and Mom brought me up on fifteenth century literature so I tend to think of even the eighteenth century novels as being modern" Spencer replied shrugging. "I don't watch many new movies or read magazines or follow modern trends, there really doesn't seem much point to those things in my life. I'm not home often enough to bother with television programs either."

"Do you watch television?" Dana Snyder asked. "I would have thought you'd watch the news if nothing else."

Lila laughed. "He doesn't even own one" she said. "He spends more time being on the news than watching it."

"It's quicker to read the newspapers" Spencer replied blushing a little. "I watch movies on my laptop, but mostly old or foreign movies and I prefer to read."

"I hate subtitles" Lila said.

"I don't use the subtitles much. Foreign language movies are a good way to learn verbal comprehension and the correct pronunciation of a language" Spencer replied.

Parker laughed at that. "How many languages do you speak?" he asked.

"Seventeen fluently and there are another five that I can read but either cannot understand the spoken version or I've ever heard it" Spencer replied matter-of-factly.

-o0o-

"Where are you staying? Can I give you a ride?" Parker asked Lila and Spencer at the end of the night.  
"No thanks, I've got a car coming" Spencer replied.  
"You booked Limo service for this. Isn't that a bit pretentious?" Carl asked.  
"No I've a friend who works here at the Vegas office who offered to drive us tonight in return for a couple of hours tutoring his stepson" Spencer replied not mentioning said friend had been in the carpark all evening in case Spencer had needed backup.  
"You'd have friends all over the country" Lila said.  
"To some extent but most local stations are still glad to see us go no matter how grateful they are for solving their case" Spencer said smiling. "You can't really blame them we turn up at some of the worst crimes the town's ever seen. Once we leave they can pretend things are going back to normal."  
"Yeah I can't say most places like the FBI taking over. Cooper and his team weren't like that though" Warrick said.  
"Most of the BAU teams aren't, we need to maintain good relationships with the local LEO's because we need their co-operation, and we study behaviour so we're all aware of the reactions our behaviour has on others. Cooper's got some good people" Spencer agreed.  
"Say hello to them for me when you see them" Warrick said.  
"They wrapped their case today so I should see them back in the office Monday if we don't get called out" Spencer said nodding.  
"That must suck! Never knowing whether you're going to be called away" Warrick said. "I might work a lot of overtime but at least I go home every morning."  
"Working nights can't be good for your social life either" Spencer commiserated.  
Warrick shrugged. "It's not so bad and my best friends are on our shift."  
"This is Vegas, most people work nights" Harper pointed out.  
"The majority of people work swing shift not graveyard" Warrick corrected.

"It's like that with the BAU too, your team becomes your best friends, almost like a family. Well a well-functioning family" Spencer said to Warrick.

"We're not exactly family but then I guess with the travel you do you're around each other twenty-four seven so you'd be closer" Warrick said grinning. "Cooper's team were tight."

"Yeah" Spencer replied. "And they understand the job. Nobody else seems to understand the toll it can take. With my job I could have put my hand up as most likely to end up divorced if I do get married. Successful marriages are rare in the BAU."

-o0o-

Spencer's friend pulled up to the door with the car and Spencer helped Lila in before climbing in beside her.

"Did you have fun tonight?" Lila asked him.

"Surprisingly yes" Spencer said smiling. "I feel good about having gone."

"It was interesting. Maybe I will go to my own reunion next year" Lila said consideringly.

"You were the most beautiful woman there tonight. Thank you for coming with me" Spencer said softly, kissing her cheek.

"You're welcome" Lila said warmly. "You were the most attractive man there too Spencer."

"It's nice of you to think so" Spencer said pleased.

"I'm not the only one who thought so. Half the women there would have happily jumped you if you'd given them the encouragement" Lila retorted. "Confidence and success are attractive, and you were one of the most confident and successful men in the room."

"I have you to thank for the confidence" Spencer replied.

"No Spencer it's part of you, I just brought it out" Lila replied kissing him lightly.

-o0o-

"Help me off with my dress" Lila said turning her back to him.  
Spencer leaned forward and kissed her neck lightly as he lowered her zipper.  
Lila let the dress fall to the ground, turning to hold Spencer's arm as she stepped out of it leaving her standing there in nothing but her high heels. Spencer dropped to his knees and lifted one foot onto his lap, caressing it as he unbuckled the expensive sandal.

Lila steadied herself with a hand on his shoulder as he took off the second shoe and leaned over to place kisses along her inner thigh. He kissed his way slowly upwards, careful not to leave marks and nuzzled into the joint between thigh and torso.

Lila hooked one leg over his shoulders opening herself up to his ministrations but he ignored her core for the moment to switch to the jointure of the other leg.

"Lila" he breathed, his breath on her clit made she'd shudder and thrust her hips forward to meet his mouth.

"Stop stop Spencer" Lila said a moment later as she struggled to maintain her balance.

Spencer drew back immediately and looked up at Lila worriedly. "Did I do something wrong?" He asked all his confidence disappearing.

"You didn't do anything wrong. You're just too good at this. I need to hold onto something or I'm going to fall over" Lila replied.

Spencer dropped his hands from her hips where he'd been holding her still and leaned back. "Bed?" He asked.

"That or up against the dresser so I can hang on" Lila replied. "What do you want?"

"The dresser's right in front of the window. I know we're on the fifteenth floor but any of the people in the rooms opposite could see us" Spencer pointed out.

Lila sighed. "If I wasn't an actress I'd say so what. Most of the rooms with the curtains open are probably empty and that's a different hotel so we're not likely to meet anyone who is watching but I can't risk photos like that being sold to the magazines."

"We could draw the curtains" Spencer said.

"Or just turn off the lights so it's too dark for someone to see in" Lila suggested. "That way you can experience the feeling of being an exhibitionist without actually being seen by anyone."

"Why would I want to feel like an exhibitionist?" Spencer asked bemused.

"I don't know but it's a kink we haven't tried" Lila replied.

Spencer thought for a moment. "I don't have strong feelings about it either way, but I'm willing to try it if you'd like" he said realising that it might be a kink Lila enjoyed even if she didn't want to admit that to him. He recalled Prentiss telling him they'd found nude photos of Lila in her manager's office. He turned out the lights and they moved over in front of the window. Spencer kissed her thoroughly before dropping back to his knees and pulling one leg over his shoulder turning Lila so she was facing the window a little if she wanted to look out. He held her hips in place as he tongued her clit before moving one hand to thrust two fingers inside her crooking them to brush her G-spot. It didn't take long before he had to wrap his arm around her hips to hold her up as she orgasmed. Gentling his movements so she didn't become too sensitive he held her as she regained her balance then stood up. lifted her and thrust inside her hard. Lila wrapped both legs around his waist and held on tightly as he rocked her to a second orgasm before carrying her to the bed and lying her down so he could thrust harder and come himself triggering her third orgasm as he released into the condom.

Spencer dozed for a while before waking with Lila's mouth swallowing his shaft and then made love again before pulling the comforter over them and settling down to sleep cuddled up.

-o0o-

Lila made slightly awkward conversation with the agent that had driven them the night before and his wife while Spencer spent a couple of hours explaining the math and science that their teenage son had been having problems with. Once Spencer had got past his normal shyness with teenagers he was quickly able to see the problems and explain things in a way that made sense to the boy and to demonstrate several ways this information would be used in the future. They then had a leisurely lunch and returned to their room to spend some private time before their flight. Lila was coming back to DC for a few days as she had an audition in New York at the end of the week but Spencer would be on call again as soon as he arrived back in DC and had work the next day whether they caught a case or not.

-o0o-

They were just checking in at the airport when Hotch rang.

"Hey Hotch I'm just checking in now. I should be back in DC by six" Spencer said.

"I'm sorry Reid but I need you to cancel your flight to DC and get on the next available plane to Dallas. We have two missing children just north of the city. Text me and let me know your arrival time and we'll make arrangements."

"Yes Sir. Talk to you soon" Spencer said disconnecting.

"I'm sorry Lila but I need to go to Dallas" he said giving his girlfriend the key to his apartment. "Feel free to stay at my place and hopefully I'll be home before you leave Thursday."

"That's fine Spencer, good luck with your case" Lila said as she accompanied him to the booking desk.

They didn't have an empty seat but once Spencer flashed his badge and explained the situation they gave him the spare attendants seat on a plane about to leave. He hurriedly kissed Lila goodbye and left.

-o0o-

Spencer didn't even get to call Lila that night or the next morning. They worked the case into the small hours and then crashed at the motel before been woken up at dawn with the report of another missing child. Finally, late in the day the children were found alive and the team took a break.

"I'm sorry Lila but with missing children ever minute counts. I just didn't have time to think of anything but the case. Are you settled in okay? You know you could call Garcia if you needed anything?" he said anxiously.

"It's fine Spence. I saw Hotch on the news so I knew what was going on. I'm glad you found the children" Lila reassured him.

"You know it's never going to be any different? That if you stay with me this will keep happening, I could be called away at any time no matter what plans we have?" Spencer asked.

"I know Spence. I understand you have a stressful job and it will be difficult to have a relationship with the hours you work and all the travelling even without the added problems of my job mostly being in LA. But you need more to your life than your job and your studies and intellectual pursuits, even if it's not me you end up wanting please say you'll try."

"Does that mean you don't want to be with me?" Spencer asked insecurely. He knew he hadn't managed to pleasure her but she had said he could try again.

"No. I want to be with you whenever we can be together. It's just that if I do get this role in the sitcom I'm auditioning for I'm going to be tied to being in New York for months at a time and I don't want you to be alone if this doesn't work out for us. I need to know you'll keep trying, that I'm not going to be your only hope of a relationship. Frankly Spencer we don't need that pressure."

"Okay I promise" Spencer said easily.

"I worry that maybe part of the reasons that you're so willing to start a relationship with me is because of all the reasons it won't work" Lila said surprisingly perceptively. "I don't know whether it's because you want to try a relationship out of scientific curiosity but think you'd prefer to be alone or whether you think you can avoid being hurt because you already believe this relationship won't work or even because you think you won't blame yourself if we do break up because there's so much other stuff to blame.

Spencer thought about what Lila had said. "You think that I'm planning for us to fail?" He asked. "I've never not tried my best at anything in my life except sports... and being the normal kid my Dad wanted me to be. I want to be with you Lila. New York's only a couple of hours away by train. If you get the sitcom role it will be much easier for me to get up there on weekends than getting to LA. I'll cut down on the amount of courses I'm studying to make more time to spend with you. We can work this out Lila you'll see" Spencer said confidently. "I'll be home tonight. We'll talk about it more then."

-o0o-

Lila got the part in the sitcom a short term role lasting a few months. Spencer kept his word travelling to New York every time he had days off even though Lila often still had to work. Their relationship lasted another couple of months until the passion started to fade and they realised they made better friends than long term lovers. They parted without animosity when Lila returned to LA and remained friends until Spencer was taken hostage in Georgia and he dropped all contact in the aftermath of his torture and addiction. The confidence the relationship gave Spencer with women lasted a lifetime, though his job made meeting women difficult he no longer believed he was destined to live his life alone.

The end.

A/N: Thank you to everyone who read this story, especially DarkJediQueen, tannerose5, Flowerfairy30, diehardcriminalminds, jinx-tiger-13 and jjreid for your support.


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: I recently read a story which I had read in the past though both the title and the name of the person posting it were different. When I accused the new 'author' of plagiarism they replied that they never claimed to have written the story and the original owner "never said that i couldn't share the story it's self. Beside's they put it out their for people's entertainment if they wanted people to know who wrote it they would tell." They then proceded to tell me off for making a false accusation. Needless to say I then reported them.

So to make it perfectly clear. THIS IS MY STORY AND NOBODY HAS PERMISSION TO POST IT ANY WHERE ELSE OR REPOST IT ON THIS SITE UNDER ANY NAME. And I stand by my words that only a despicable human being would steal another person's work in this way.

A/N2: For anybody who has read or followed my other stories please be aware that I am not updating them just adding the above notification of ownership over the next day or so. I apologise for any disappointment or inconvenience.


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